Page 116 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

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CATHÉDRALE

ST-PIERRE

EXPERIENCE Geneva daily; church: Jun–Sep: 9am–6:30pm Mon–Sat, noon–6:30pm
 C4 ⌂ 6–8 Cour St-Pierre # Archaeological site: 10am–5pm
Sun, Oct–May: 10am–5:30pm Mon–Sat, noon–5:30pm Sun
∑ site-archeologique.ch
Built over a span of some 70 years from 1160 to 1230,
with later additions, Geneva’s vast cathedral is a mish-
mash of styles, from the Gothic to the Neo-Classical,
and a mix of Catholic and Protestant symbolism.
Archaeological evidence, unearthed in the
1970s, show that there has been a Christian John Calvin’s chair
church on this site since at least AD 360. A is in the nave.
complex of 4th-cen tury ecclesiastical build-
ings were erected here – and subsequently A triforium surmounts
built over repeatedly until the 1100s, when the arches in the
the complex was razed and work began on groin-vaulted nave.
the present Gothic-Romanesque cathedral.
While the cathedral faced a programme of
reinven tion, as religi ous aesthetic principles
changed, the original structure remained
largely untouched until 1976, when exca-
vations under and around the cathedral
were started. Today, beneath the
cathedral, an archaeo logical
museum displays remains
from some of the 4th-
century buildings, as
well as the findings of
excavations from
the surrounding area.

The cathedral, a mix of
architectural styles and
religious symbolism

GREAT VIEW
City Panorama
Climb the narrow steps
(all 157 of them) that Main entrance
wind up the north
The flamboyant
tower to enjoy the 15th-century Chapelle
spectacular panoramic des Macchabées
views over the city.

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